Samples 2016: Week 15, Gritty/Antique

Sorry to be so obvious again, but "gritty" just has to be another excuse for French knots!

In subtle faded shades of pearl and stranded cottons, on tea-dyed calico. That's the antiquey colour scheme. Plus a few tiny bronze beads.

Samples 2015: Week 23, Thyme

Tea-dyed calico over felt, French knots in pearl cotton and stranded cotton.

Source picture

From this article in the Saturday Guardian 06/06/15:
“Alys Fowler: plants for patio cracks. If cracks appear, celebrate them. Many plants are adapted to harsh conditions.”

‘The obvious choice in paving cracks is thyme.’ Photograph: Gap Photos/Michael Howes

Sample design
The old L-shaped cards helped me pick a section – deliberately not my preferred square shape. Different sizes of French knots suited the plants and gravel nicely – and it’s a few weeks since I stitched any. Well I don’t have to take the difficult option every time, do I?!    

Samples 2015: Week 14, Beano

Hand embroidery on calico over felt.

Couching and French knots in a variety of threads.

 

Source picture

From this article in the Saturday Guardian 04/04/15:

“My hero: The Beano by Danny Wallace. The comedian and author on how the comic celebrates storytelling and the joys of a joke.”

Tales from Dundee … The Beano. Photograph: DC Thomson & Co. Ltd

Sample design

A small, enlarged section of the comic title, with enough for an interesting composition and to keep the spirit of the lettering but without being readable as letters. I consciously chose to keep the colour scheme this time, but instead of smooth single colours I used texture and a variety of shades.